HIS ANGEL OF DAMNATION

CHAPTER 2

MARY'S POV

"Oh... I'm already here."

I blinked and looked up at the school gates.

Apparently, my feet had decided to continue functioning while the rest of me was busy thinking about mysterious dream voices and questionable life circumstances. Somehow, I had crossed half the town without properly noticing.

I adjusted the strap of my bag and started toward the entrance.

"Excuse me..."

The voice came from behind me.

My steps halted.

Not gradually.

Instantly.

My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag as a strange sensation swept through my chest. It wasn't fear. It wasn't recognition either. It felt like hearing the first note of a song I should have known but couldn't quite remember.

Slowly, I turned around.

And immediately regretted it.

The man standing a few feet away looked like the kind of person responsible adults warned teenagers about.

Blonde hair fell carelessly across his forehead, slightly dishevelled as though he'd run his hands through it one too many times. A pair of glasses rested on his nose, but instead of making him look scholarly, they somehow drew more attention to his face.

Which was deeply unhelpful.

His jaw was sharp enough to cut glass, his shoulders broad beneath a dark shirt, and there was an ease about the way he stood that suggested he was entirely comfortable being looked at.

Unfortunately, I was looking.

A lot.

Then his eyes met mine.

My breath caught.

The glasses should have hidden them.

They didn't.

Golden-brown.

Not plain brown.

Not hazel.

Something warmer.

Brighter.

Like sunlight trapped beneath amber.

For a second, I forgot every sensible thought I had ever possessed.

Mother of fudge-balls with cream on top... what is this creature?

The thought escaped before I could stop it.

His mouth twitched.

Just slightly.

One corner lifting as though he was trying very hard not to laugh.

Oh no.

Oh, dear Lord.

I had said it out loud.

Heat rushed into my face so quickly it felt like my entire head had caught fire.

The stranger tilted his head, studying me with open amusement. His brows lifted slightly, and I got the uncomfortable impression that he was enjoying this far more than he should.

I suddenly became aware of everything.

My posture.

My hair.

The fact that I was standing there staring at a complete stranger like I had never seen a man before.

Wonderful.

Absolutely wonderful.

"Are you from this school?" he asked.

His voice was calm, smooth, and entirely too pleasant to listen to.

I cleared my throat.

Once.

Twice.

Neither attempt improved the situation.

"Yeah. I am."

The answer slipped out automatically.

A second later, common sense finally arrived.

Should I be telling strangers that?

He could be anyone.

A kidnapper.

A criminal.

A psychopath.

I looked at him again.

Okay.

Possibly a very attractive psychopath.

God help me.

The corner of his mouth lifted higher.

I froze.

"Did I say that one out loud too?"

A quiet laugh escaped him.

The sound settled somewhere directly beneath my ribs.

Which seemed unfair.

Very unfair.

"That's great to hear," he said. "I'm one of the new teachers. First day here, and I'm already lost."

A teacher.

For some reason, that made things worse.

Much worse.

He adjusted his glasses and glanced toward the school building.

"Could you help me find the principal's office?"

Then his gaze returned to mine.

"And don't worry. I'm not a psychopath."

A brief pause.

"Though if I were, you'd definitely be on my list, dear."

My brain shut down completely.

Not slowed.

Not paused.

Shut down.

The stranger chuckled again, clearly enjoying my suffering.

"You're very expressive."

His eyes sparkled with amusement.

"I'm just good at reading people."

Then he extended a hand.

"Luci."

The name sounded simple enough.

The effect it had on me was not.

"Mary."

The reply came out too quickly.

I winced.

"I mean... yes. Mary."

Brilliant.

Exceptional work.

He repeated my name quietly.

"Mary."

Something about the way he said it made my stomach tighten.

Not because it was romantic.

Not because it was flirtatious.

Because it sounded familiar.

As though he had spoken it before.

His gaze lingered on my face for a moment longer than necessary, and the teasing smile softened into something I couldn't quite understand.

Then it vanished.

"Lead the way, Mary."

I should have hesitated.

I should have questioned why a complete stranger felt oddly familiar.

I should have done a lot of things.

Instead, I turned and started walking.

The principal's office wasn't far from the entrance, yet the journey seemed strangely stretched, as though time had decided to move differently the moment Luci appeared. By the time we reached the main building, it felt as though only a few minutes had passed and much longer at the same time.

We talked—or at least I think we did.

If somebody had stopped me afterwards and asked what we discussed, I probably wouldn't have been able to answer. My attention kept drifting every time I looked at him, and unfortunately, I looked far more often than I should have.

Each time our eyes met, I had the uncomfortable feeling that he was seeing something beneath the surface, something I couldn't even identify myself. It wasn't invasive exactly, but it left me oddly aware of my own skin.

Determined to prove I could function like a normal human being, I cleared my throat and forced myself to focus.

"So," I said, glancing up at him, "what brought you to our little old school?"

The question sounded casual enough, but curiosity had already gotten the better of me. Luci looked completely out of place among brick corridors and crowded classrooms. Not because he looked dangerous, but because he looked like the sort of person trouble willingly followed.

For a moment, he didn't answer.

His gaze shifted ahead, and the playful amusement I'd seen earlier faded slightly. It wasn't a dramatic change, just enough for me to notice. The smile softened. His shoulders seemed to settle. Something distant flickered across his face before disappearing again.

Immediately, I regretted asking.

Wonderful, Mary. One innocent question and you've accidentally uncovered a tragic backstory.

I opened my mouth to backtrack, but Luci spoke first.

"Don't worry," he said quietly. "It's nothing."

The words were light, yet they didn't quite match his expression.

"I'm here because I'm looking for something."

His eyes remained fixed on the corridor ahead.

"Something I've been searching for for a very long time."

The answer should have sounded simple.

Instead, it settled strangely inside me.

I couldn't explain why.

Maybe it was the way he said it.

Maybe it was the look in his eyes.

Whatever the reason, it felt less like an explanation and more like a confession.

"I hope you find it," I said.

The words came out softer than I intended.

Luci looked at me then, and a different smile appeared. It wasn't the teasing grin he'd worn since we'd met. This one seemed genuine, appearing slowly before settling across his face.

"Thank you."

His gaze lingered.

A second.

Two.

Long enough to make me suddenly very interested in the floor.

Then his expression shifted again.

Almost imperceptibly.

"I think," he said, his voice lowering slightly, "I might already have."

My steps faltered.

Only for a moment.

But he noticed.

Of course he noticed.

"And when it's just the two of us," he continued, a hint of amusement returning to his eyes, "you can call me Luci."

I nearly walked into a wall.

Not literally.

Close, though.

Teachers were not supposed to say things like that. At least, I was fairly certain they weren't.

I stared at him.

He stared back.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

"But—"

"No buts."

The interruption was smooth enough to sound effortless.

"You already helped me. I was beginning to think I'd spend my first day wandering around this school until somebody took pity on me."

That earned a reluctant smile.

"Fine."

I adjusted my bag strap, pretending I wasn't suddenly aware of every word leaving my mouth.

"Luci."

Something flickered across his face.

Quick.

Gone almost immediately.

Yet the air between us felt different afterwards, as though something unseen had quietly shifted into place.

Thankfully, the principal's office appeared at the end of the corridor before my brain could investigate that thought any further.

"We're here," I said, pointing toward the door.

Luci glanced at it, then back at me.

The familiar amusement returned to his face.

"I'll see you later, little Mary."

The words should have sounded harmless.

For some reason, they didn't.

Before I could decide what to do with that information, he opened the door and disappeared inside.

The corridor suddenly felt much quieter.

I remained where I was for a few seconds, staring at the closed office door while students passed around me.

Then I let out a slow breath, I glanced at my wristwatch.

My soul left my body.

“Holy molly”

I stopped dead in the hallway.

“Oh no. Oh no, no, no.”

I was ten minutes late.

Mr Hamster was going to skin me alive.

All thoughts of Luci vanished instantly.

With a strangled squeak, I took off running down the corridor like my life depended on it.

Which, considering Mr Hamster’s mood when students were late, it very well might.

"What the hell just happened?"